Thesis (Ph. D.)--Florida State University, 2003. / Advisor: Dr. Thomas A. Cornille, Florida State University, College of Human Sciences, Program in Marriage and Family Therapy. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed Mar. 2, 2004). Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 110-121).

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Cognitive-developmental theory claims that moral reasoning ordinarily progresses through distinct stages, and that such development can be stimulated by discussion with others, especially discussions involving exposure to higher-stage reasoning. The concern of this study was the social/contextual factors that interact with cognitive processes involved in the development of moral reasoning. Two types of such factors were studied: namely, sociometric status and intensity of moral education program. The first of these could be studied because the participants were residents of a facility for young offenders (a total institution), characterized by an obvious and rigid hierarchical peer status system within the culture. The second factor could be studied because the participants were drawn from three residential units within the larger center, which varied significantly in terms of their program activities (specifically, unit meetings), and hence their moral climates. A total of 101 young offenders served as participants. They were assessed for moral reasoning, their perceptions of moral and institutional climate, and also through behavioral ratings - all at the pretest and at the 1-month posttest. The three levels of program were reflected in the institutional and moral climate measures. As well, better climates were associated with improvements in behavior and lesser climates with reductions in prosocial behavior. It was concluded that moral climate represents a valid measure of the factors which predict behavior within and following release from institutional settings. In order to study the effects of peer status, 40 participants served as target subjects who engaged in moral dilemma discussions with one other subject, each day for 3 consecutive days. According to cognitive-developmental theory, a dyadic intervention such as the one used here would be expected to stimulate the moral reasoning competence of the participant who is lower in that ability. However, the dyads were formed in such a way that some of the high stage participants (who would be expected to have an influence on their partner) were of significantly lower peer status. It was found that both exposure to higher-stage reasoning and higher peer status were necessary but not sufficient elements within this developmental process, consistent with the Piagetian notions regarding peer interaction and disequilibration.

This thesis is an original sequence of fifteen poems which. explore the author's reactions to Nature and God, her search for the meaningful in her life, and her search for answers to the "great questions."Some of the works are in blank verse; some are in more controlled rhyme to emphasize the tension the writer felt. Several poems are experiments in the sonnet.

The purpose of this study was: (a) to replicate those parts of the Pontius and Ruttiger (1976) study in which they found a lower frequency of the ability to express maturity in narrative stories (appropriate change of behavior during an intervening circumstance) within a group(b) to verify with an accepted measure of frontal lobe dysfunction (Wisconsin Card Sorting Test) the conclusion of Pontius and Ruttiger that subjects can be classified into two groups, one demonstrating frontal lobe dysfunction and Level IV of juvenile delinquents versus a group ofnormal controls; the other demonstrating normal frontal lobe development, on the basis of the Narratives Test; and (c) to determine the efficacy of a newly developed Perseveration Response as a measure of frontal lobe dysfunction.The effectiveness of the Narratives Test as a measure of fronal lobe dysfunction could not be verified as determined by its relationship with the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test.It was, however, concluded, on the basis of a successful replication, that the Narratives Test canconsistently measure Level IV maturity but that there is no basis to specifically associate an inability to change behavior appropriately in reponse to an intervening circumstance in narrative stories with frontal lobe dysfunction.Even though that part of the Pontius and Ruttiger (1976) study dealing specifically with juvenile delinquents was successfully replicated, results of the present study relating to normals differed significantly from the Pontius and Ruttiger findings.The present study identified a significantly lower frequency of Level IV maturity failures among normals than was true in the Pontius and Ruttiger study.Based on the correlation between the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test and the Perseveration Category Error Score, the present study did not support the validity of this scoring procedure as a viable measure of frontal lobe dysfunction. A verification of the Perseveration Category Error Score with a sample of documented frontal lobe patients and matched control groups is suggested.

This thesis presents a descriptive analysis of the police arrest records for Muncie, Indiana, to determine if there was a decrease in the sex ratio of adults arrested for non-traffic violations from 1967-1970. The Muncie police arrest records were compared to the national arrest statistics as published in the Uniform Crime Report. The problems associated with absolute figures on the number r of arrests were avoided by considering the total population of Muncie and the nation. The results of the study showed that on the whole, Muncie followed the general national trend of a decreasing sex ratio of arrests. Although the general national trend was towards a decreasing sex ratio of arrests, there were a few years namely 1962, 1965, and 1966 in which the sex ratio of national arrests increased slightly. Further, Muncie's trend of a decreasing sex ratio of arrests was interruped in 1970 by a slight increase.

This thesis has investigated and statistically analyzed the responses of delinquent and non-delinquent adolescent male subjects to Julian B. Rotter's Internal-external Locus of Control Scale. An individual with an "internal locus of control" is characterized by believing that what happens to him is a direct result of his own actions. A person with an "external locus of control" is more likely to feel that forces beyond his control such as fate or luck, determine what will happen to him.Delinquent subjects were obtained through a juvenile court. Non-delinquent subjects were obtained through school systems and youth groups. Selection of subjects was controlled for race, age, socio-economic level, and number of parents living at home. No significant difference was found for locus of control between delinquent and non-delinquent groups or between races.

A token point economy was established at a residential facility for adolescent boys adjudicated either pre-delinquent or delinquent. Points were awarded for positive target behaviors and points subtracted from target behaviors defined as negative. Points earned could be exchanged for such bac1up reinforcers as off-campus activities, snacks, telephone calls, etc. Results indicated a vast improvement on contingent behaviors such as fighting, foul language, destruction of property, behavior in the classroom, and cottages. In addition, there was an indication of improvement in more global areas such as attitudes and communication. The overall running of the residential program appeared smoother. The token point economy facilitated an improvement of the more traditional types of ongoing therapy. It offered a common reference point of what was expected of the resident's behavior.